A Day in the Life
by Reilie
Summary: -x-x- DAY 5: Why did he assume that there was such a thing as a normal day?-x-x- After the events of the Reaper Game, life goes on for Neku Sakuraba. Of course, the fact that he has friends now changes things a little bit. And the fact that one of these said friends is the Composer of Shibuya, but hey, he always attracted the weird ones. Series of one-shots. Post-game. Slight AU.
1. Friends

**Welcome to _A Day in the Life_! ****This fic will be a series of (possibly connected) oneshots about life after the Game for Neku and friends. May have some shounen-ai. Maaaaaybe.**

**Most will be friendship-centric and are set in an universe where Joshua _does_ meet up with the group post-game.**

**Warnings: Uhhh... slight cursing? I think that's it...**

**Enjoy :3**

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_**~I don't own TWEWY~**_

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"I don't get you, man. He shoots you and you fine wit' it?"

Neku sighed again for what seemed to be the fiftieth time that day. The two of them were at the Scramble Crossing and were going to meet Shiki and Rhyme at 104. They had spotted a familiar figure in a red hoodie, sparking the topic about a certain ashen haired Composer.

"No Beat, I'm not fine with the fact he shot me." '_Twice,'_ He thought resentfully. "But I trust him. And... he's still a friend. Kinda."

"Yo man, forget that "trust your partner stuff," I don't like 'em. You gotta be vegetant 'round people like 'em!" Beat huffed.

"I do believe you mean "vigilant," my dear Daisukenojo," the Composer corrected as he suddenly materialized next to the skater.

"Bwaaaahh! Where'd you come from?! And dontchu use that name!" Beat shouted angrily as the ashen haired boy giggled at his reaction.

"Seriously, don't do that Josh. You're going to give someone a heart attack one day if you keep randomly popping up like that." Neku frowned at the boy. He didn't even look mildly surprised at his sudden appearance.

"Aw, I just wanted to surprise you. You're no fun, Neku dear," Joshua pouted.

The orange head shrugged. "I could tell you were there. You weren't really trying too hard to hide yourself."

"You could tell I was there? Hmm... Interesting..." Joshua hummed thoughtfully, looking slightly impressed. "The Game really has improved your detection of the planes."

"Guess that happens when you're put through _three weeks_ of it. What are you doing here anyway?"

The Composer shrugged slightly looking bored. "I had a bit of free time and decided to see what you were doing. Are you going to meet the girls?" He asked.

"Yeah, Beat and I were heading to 104 to meet up with them." Neku suddenly frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Wait, how do you have so much free time? Don't you still not have a Conductor after what happened to Shades?"

"I don't _have_ to have a Conductor you know. They just make my job easier. Besides, _you're_ the one who erased Megumi," Joshua chuckled slightly, a wicked grin on his face. "Maybe you should make it up to me. I'm sure you would be a wonderful Conductor."

"I swear Josh, if you shoot me again-"

"Oh, I can't shoot you? No matter, I can get someone else to do it. Maybe Uzuki."

"Dammit Josh-"

"That was a joke, dear."

"Most people don't joke about _shooting_ each other. And stop calling me dear!"

"Hee hee~ Yes, sir," he mock saluted with a giggle.

"You ass," Neku muttered, hiding his amused smile in his oversized collar.

"I try."

As they argued and teased each other, Beat stared the two as if they had suddenly sprouted wings on their heads and flown off (though prissy could probably do that, he thought). They were relaxed as they exchanged banter and it was as if they fit together- as weird as the thought was to Beat. Here was the guy who had shot and lied to his best friend, but they were laughing and teasing each other like it was the most normal thing in the world. And maybe it was, but to Beat, it was oddest thing he had ever seen.

Even more odd than a plush cat tearing apart a Noise and that was saying something.

"Hello? Earth to Beat?"

Beat jumped as a hand suddenly waved in front of his face. "Wha-!"

"You were spacing out," Neku explained looking amused.

"Oh, I was just thinkin', man."

"You, thinking? About what?" Neku asked.

Beat glared at the ashen haired boy who was now walking ahead of them. "Just 'bout you and prissy." He made a face. "You got a crush on 'em or somethin'? 'Cuz I don't get how you can stand the guy."

"What the- What the hell?! No!" Neku shouted as his face started to redden from either anger or embarrassment, or perhaps a mixture of both. "A crush on Josh? That's gross, Beat."

"Well, I'm sorry I disgust you so much, Neku. And here I hoped you would return my feelings~" Joshua sighed dramatically as he suddenly reappeared next to the two friends.

"Whaaaat?! Prissy likes you, Phones?!"

Neku sighed again, completely exasperated. "He's kidding, Beat."

"Oh. I knew that!"

"Sure you did."

By now, the three had arrived at 104. Neku and Beat began to look around for the girls in the sea of people while Joshua looked interestedly at a shop display.

"Yo, where are they? Shiki told ya to meet her here right?"

"Yeah... Wait, there they are," Neku said as he spotted a familiar bespectacled brunette waving to them.

"Hey! You guys are late!" Shiki called with a smile. Rhyme was standing next to her talking to Eri, Shiki's best friend.

"Sorry, we got held up," Neku apologized, gesturing to Joshua.

"Oh... Hi Joshua," Shiki greeted cheerfully despite the flash of unease in her eyes. She was still unsure of how she should feel about the Composer who had killed Neku but had also revived them all.

"Hello, it's great to see you all again," he responded with a pleasant smile. "Oh Eri, I didn't know you were here, too."

Shiki stared at her best friend in surprise as Eri beamed at Joshua. "Hey Josh! I didn't know you knew Shiki. Small world, huh?"

"Small world, indeed," he chuckled.

"How you know 'em, Eri?" Beat asked.

"I met him at Lapin Angelique last week," She explained. "He was trying on the _cutest_ bunny parka and we ended up hitting it off."

"... A bunny parka? Really, Josh?" Neku deadpanned.

"I have some pictures. Would you like to see them, dear?" Joshua offered all too pleasantly.

"No."

"You sure, dear? It's a once in a lifetime chance you know."

"I'll pass. And get away from me!"

Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki laughed while Eri looked amused as Joshua tormented Neku. They felt bad for him, but it didn't make it any less funny.

"Those two are the same as ever," Rhyme giggled.

"He's opened up a lot. I'm happy he still hangs out with us, though," Shiki said with a thoughtful smile.

Before the games, Neku had been sullen and withdrawn, refusing to associate with anyone. Now after what he had christened the "Three Weeks from Hell," he had befriended not only the former players, but also people at his school. Most of the people who had known him before the three weeks were taken aback by the drastic change in attitude. Of course, Shiki and the others knew the cause of the change.

"New friends are like silver, but the old friends are gold," Rhyme reminded Shiki with a small smile. "No matter how many new friends he makes, he wont forget us. I don't think he'll forget what happened anytime soon either."

"Wit' prissy face 'round, Phones probably won't never forget," Beat grumbled.

"How did all of you guys meet anyway? You never told me," Eri asked curiously.

"Umm..." Shiki looked away as if she didn't know what say.

"We met playin' a game," Beat blurted out.

Shiki and Rhyme stared at him with a look akin to horror and Rhyme quickly interrupted before her brother could say anything else. "We were at a camp doing activities and Beat and I were partners. Neku was Shiki's."

Eri suspiciously stared at her three, flustered friends. "Oh... And you guys met Joshua there, too?"

"Yeah, he was the...um... the supervisor! The supervisor of the camp," Shiki explained with a shaky smile. She was a terrible liar and knew Eri didn't believe a word she had just said. She silently braced herself for more questions. To her surprise however, the pink haired teen merely shrugged and stopped pressing the matter.

There was no way Eri bought that obvious lie, unless...

Shiki sneaked a quick peek at Joshua. He just winked at her and returned to pestering Neku about wearing some Natural Puppy pumps.

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**Cross-dressing Joshua is the most hilarious thing ever. C:**

**I like the idea of Eri joining the group post-game and I _love _the idea of her and Joshua becoming besties. xD**

**And I've been wondering, anyone notice that I'm naming my stories after song names? **

**_Little Talks_ is by Of Monsters and Men (I love this song), ****_Dear You_ is from the sound novel Higurashi, and _A Day in the Life_ is by the Beatles. The songs really don't have anything to do with the stories, but I thought the names were appropriate (and because I can't name anything to save my life...)**

**Secret Garden was the only one I didn't name after a song. :3**

**Please review! :D**


	2. Sorry

**This one is set in Neku's ****high school. My head-canon is that he, Shiki, and Beat all go to different schools because they didn't recognize each other during the Game. This one is sort of related to the last one, but reading the first story isn't necessary (though I hope you do read it.) :3**

**Warnings: Slight language, Josh being Josh, and a few OC's but they're not really that important. There's a little shounen-ai, but only if you want to interpret it that way. **

**Enjoy! :D**

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_**~I do not own TWEWY, if I did, I wouldn't be writing this~**_

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Neku was doodling on his notebook when his teacher made the announcement.

"Class, we have someone visiting today. Be kind to him. "

He looked up, not expecting to see a familiar face that was surrounded with its customary holier-than-thou air.

"My name is Kiryu Yoshiya, but you all can call me Joshua," He said, flashing a charming smile.

"His parents are think about letting him attend this school so be sure to give a good impression," The teacher said sternly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Josh?!" Neku exclaimed, unheeding of the words that his teacher had just spoken. The class erupted into a clamor of loud whispers. They _knew_ each other?

"Oh Neku, I didn't know you attended here," Joshua feigned surprise, his eyes widening. He was a rather impressive actor if he said so himself.

"Cut the crap, Josh. You know I come here," Neku scowled at him.

"You know Kiryu, Sakuraba?" His teacher asked, eyes narrowed.

"He's... a friend." Neku's scowl deepened when he saw Joshua's smug look at his words.

"Well, since you two are already acquainted, _you_ will be Kiryu's guide for today. And stay after school. I think we need to have a talk about your vulgar language."

Neku glared at Joshua again. The Composer just fluttered his eyelashes innocently and smirked.

Damn him.

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"Shouldn't you be ruining the afterlife of Shibuya's populace or something?"

"Is that really the kind of greeting you should give to a _friend_? My, my, you're breaking my heart," Joshua sighed dramatically as he hopped on top of Neku's table, knocking over the notebook and pencils that had been placed there.

The orange head rolled his eyes and picked up his fallen things. "Really, what are you doing here?"

"Meeting my people. There aren't any Games being planned soon and I thought it would be fun to remember what school life was like," he explained while waving to a group of girls, his fake smile in place.

"Well, what do you think so far?" Neku asked, watching the girls blush and giggle in response.

"I think..." Joshua paused briefly, the polite smile still on his face. "I think I should do this more often. You high schoolers have some _very_ interesting thoughts."

"Huh?"

"I see you still keep your Player pin with you, Neku dear."

"I'd rather not have you snooping through my thoughts," He deadpanned.

Joshua giggled, his smile becoming a little more genuine. "Always one to spoil my fun. What was that about ruining afterlives?"

"Whatever. They're thinking about something weird?"

"Curious?" The ash blonde smirked.

"Hardly," Neku scoffed before noticing some of his classmates approach him. He was now on friendlier terms with most of them, though a few seemed to still hold a grudge against him for his previously cold attitude.

"Like, aren't you gonna introduce him to us, Neku?" A girl named Mami asked.

"Um, well, this is Joshua..." Neku gestured uncertainly to the person sitting on top of his table. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.

"How'd you two meet?" A boy named Dai asked. "I didn't think you really socialized, Sakuraba."

Neku glowered at him as Joshua answered the question.

"Neku and I met at a camp."

Neku hid his slight grin remembering the "camp" excuse Shiki had given to Eri when the latter had asked a similar question. Not the best, but it have would to do for now.

"We became fast friends and then spent some of quality time together. It was a _wonderful_ week," Joshua added with a slight giggle, enjoying the odd expressions on the classmates' faces at his words. Neku, likewise, was turning slightly red at the implications, but before he could say anything, the bell rang- signaling the start of lunch.

_'Saved by the bell,'_ Joshua thought feeling slightly disappointed. He had been hoping for more chances to embarrass his former proxy.

"Uh, hey, you two wanna sit with us?" Dai offered, pointing to his group of friends sitting by the window.

Neku first opened his mouth to reject the idea before hesitating and then nodding. "Sure, thanks."

"Accepting invitations to join groups? My, you_ have_ changed, dear," Joshua teased.

"Can't really say the same about you. You're still the same prick you've always been."

"Silly Neku, why change when I'm universally loved?"

"And just as conceited as ever, too."

The ashen haired boy chuckled slightly and walked over to the tables where the others were starting to eat.

"Um... Joshua, can I talk to you for a sec in the hall?" The girl from earlier- Mami he recalled- asked. She looked shy and was twirling a lock of her bleached blonde hair.

Internally, he sighed. "I'll be back," he told Neku who responded with a small shrug and a wave. He turned back to the girl in front of him. "Shall we?"

She nodded and led him to a quieter, less crowded hallway. Joshua scanned her thoughts only to find that her mind was a jumbled mess. She was thinking about too many things at once and it was hard for him to read them before they changed again. _'Why did she want to talk to me?'_ He mused. He doubted it was some sort of confession- he had only been here for a few hours.

"So why did you want to speak with me?" He asked. Best to get straight to the point.

"Um... Well..." By now, her thoughts had finally focused on one topic, but Joshua restrained himself from reading it. It would be more interesting this way.

"I.. uh.. want your help for something..." She mumbled while fidgeting nervously.

"Yes?"

"I... I have a crush on Neku!"

A wide smirk covered his face. It _was_ more interesting this way.

"I wanted to ask him out, but one of my friends already got rejected by him and some of them say he's still a jerk even though he's a little nicer now and- and I want to ask you for some advice!" She babbled as her blush steadily grew darker.

Joshua watched her in amusement and, with a cruel smirk, decided to tease her a little. "So you want me to help you woo him, hmm?"

She nodded rapidly.

"I would... but what makes you think I would want to give you my dear little Nekky?"

She stared at him, biting her lip as her face flushed into an even darker shade of red. He would have laughed if he hadn't been so surprised by her next question.

"... So the rumors are true?"

"Rumors?"

She suddenly grinned, looking strangely excited. "People think he's into guys. They say that's why he's been talking to those idiots in the classroom when he used to ignore them." Her eyes flashed mischievously and she practically squealed in glee, "You're into him, yeah? Then the rumors are probably true because you were so flirty with him and you were sitting so close and he didn't even try to push you away! Ohemgee, you two would be the cutest couple and-" She broke off as she stared at the ashen haired boy who was doubled over, _laughing_ at her.

"Why... Why would you want Neku to be attracted to me if you have a crush on him?" Joshua finally asked as he tried to recover his breath. He hadn't laugh like this in a while.

She didn't respond though her face somehow turned even _more_ red. Figuring that she wouldn't answer, Joshua scanned her thoughts. He almost wished he hadn't.

Almost.

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"Where have you been?" Neku asked. "Lunch is about to end."

Joshua smiled as he tried to hold back a snort of laughter. "The conversation took a bit longer than expected."

"Uh-huh."

"... Say, Neku, do you know what the girls think of you here?"

Neku quirked an eyebrow. "No, why?"

Neku looked confused as Joshua scooted the slightest bit closer to him while watching a group of girls from the corner of his eyes. "Oh, it's nothing important."

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**...I'm sorry for killing your brain cells. (I'm really not.)  
**

**Please review! xD**


	3. Lullaby for You

**Super short one this time. Not a funny one this time, unfortunately. Can be taken as friendship or romance. Take your pick C:**

**No warnings this time. **

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_**~I don't own TWEWY~**_

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In the peace of Miyashita Park sat two teens. One was dozing under a tree with his signature purple headphones lying next him. His friend was sitting nearby and was softly humming as she deftly threaded her needle. The air was warm and filled with birdsong. When she closed her eyes and let the light melodies wash over her, it felt as if the song was meant just for them.

It had been a while since they had a chance to just sit back and relax like this. Since their return, they had lived everyday to its fullest, always out and about having fun and making memories together. They had taken the time to enjoy the constant movement and change of their city- of Shibuya- but had neglected to enjoy the simple peace of just being _alive_. And really, it was nice.

She paused in her work and glanced at her sleeping friend. His brow was wrinkled and his face was tense. His lips moved, but no words could escape. He was having a nightmare.

She quietly took his hand and squeezed it- as if to tell him that she was there.

His hands were warm- unlike the frigidness they had when the two had first met. She relished their warmth. It was proof that they existed.

Proof that they were alive.

She smiled slightly and squeezed his hand again.

_You are not alone. _

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**The idea for this one came from the fact the ****_Lullaby for You _****has been stuck in my head the ENTIRE WEEK. I'm not even kidding. It would have been annoying if I didn't love the song so much. **

**I was originally thinking about sleep and how the players always suddenly fall asleep without warning and compare it to a peaceful, gradual kind of sleep, but I kinda lost track of the idea along the way. Oops. :P**

**Please review! ^^**


	4. Shopping is Fun (It Really Is)

**Back to the silliness because I'm not really good at writing serious stuff. C:**

**Warning: Slight language and a creepy shopkeeper. Yeah, _that_ guy.**

**Also, I decided to keep Josh and Neku as just friends with Josh constantly aggravating the other. Shipping is nice and all, but I'm no good at writing that stuff. Heck, I can barely write this. ^^;**

**Enjoy!**

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_**~I don't own TWEWY~**_

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"Hey, hon! Long time no see! Workin' up a sweat there?"

Neku liked discounts. He had never been particular about his clothing, just that he preferred Jupiter of the Monkey (they're comfortable, dammit!) and that he would rather not spend 100,000 yen just for one shirt. That was why, during the Game, he had made a point to always be cordial to all of the shipowners because like all humans, they played favorites and would give discounts to customers they liked.

Now that the Game had ended and everything was over, he had forgotten that some of the shopkeepers had gotten _very_ friendly with him.

"You need any help taking that off, hon? I'll be glad to help!"

Yeah. Friendly_.  
_

That was why Neku was currently in Le Grande using Joshua- of all people- as a human shield to ward off a certain over enthusiastic HT Masuoka.

"Why am I even in here?!" Neku hissed to the ash blonde as he tried to ignore the hawk-like stares that were piercing his back.

"It's either here with me or at Natural Puppy with the girls, and I'm pretty sure Eri is in one of her moods," Joshua replied, sounding distracted as he rifled through the discount bin.

Neku cringed slightly at the mention of Eri. She had quickly become part of the group and had become a good friend, but recently, she had started trying to convince Neku to model for her. It wouldn't have been so bad if she hadn't been attempting to force him into a _dress_. Shiki was apologetic but refused to help him while Beat and Rhyme were too afraid of Eri to stop her.

Joshua just laughed at him and then asked for pictures.

'_So much for friends,_' Neku thought darkly.

"You know, hon, I think the clothes over here suit you _much_ more," Masuoka practically _purred_ while winking at Neku.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm fine here." '_Far away from you._'

Joshua began to giggle slightly, "I find it amusing that you're repulsed by his flirtations, but never reject mine." He turned to his ex-proxy, a wide smirk stretched across his face. "Could it be that-"

"Oh hell no, don't you _dare_ finish that sentence."

Joshua crossed his arms, a small pout on his face. "But Neku, you don't even know what I was going to say."

Neku rolled his eyes. "You were going to say, 'could it be that you're returning my feelings~?'" He even raised the pitch of his voice in what Joshua assumed was a mocking imitation of his.

Joshua chuckled and nodded approvingly, reminiscent of an adult praising a small child for doing something correctly. "Very good, Neku! You can even tell what I'm thinking now. Why, we're practically two halves of a whole." He grinned. "You could say... we complete each other."

Neku groaned. "Just piss off, Josh," he muttered.

The ash blonde giggled.

"You're welcome."

"What?"

"I just scared off your potential stalker."

Neku's eyes widened and he quickly scanned the store. Indeed, HT Masuoka had disappeared.

"He thought we were together. You're welcome, dear~" Joshua giggled. "You owe me one," he added with a smirk.

Neku blanched at the thought of owing _Joshua_ a favor. He looked through the store again and realized that they were receiving a lot of stares. Evidently, their conversation was a lot louder than Neku had thought.

"Couldn't you try to get rid of him in a different way? I don't want the people here to think I'm into you," his nose wrinkled at the thought.

"If you're going to be troublesome..." Joshua sighed as he turned back to the clothing racks. "You could buy a dress or something- _pretend_ you have a girlfriend. But be convincing. Someone still has his eyes on you," he warned with a slight grin. Masuoka had reappeared from a storage closet, and was making eyes at Neku again.

"I thought you said you scared him off."

"He thinks that I was just flirting with you. He'll leave you alone if you suggest you're in a relationship." Joshua explained, sounding bored with the topic.

_'Pretend I have a girlfriend... I can do that,'_ Neku thought. A small part of his mind was screaming at him for taking Joshua's suggestion, but he ignored it. _'As long as I can get him to leave me alone.'_

He wandered off from where Joshua was searching for clothes and approached a wall that displayed various dresses. He could feel the gaze of the shopkeeper and, frankly speaking, it was really creeping him out. The orange head steeled himself for what he was about to do. He was a decent actor. He could do this.

"Excuse me," Neku turned to Masuoka who had _coincidentally_ waltzed by.

"Yes, hon? Did you need a certain size for something?" He responded all too cheerfully.

"Yeah... Do you have this dress in a smaller size?"

Masuoka looked surprised, but he grinned at the dress, "Great choice, hon. It really brings out your-"

"It's for my girlfriend." He quickly cut in. Neku almost laughed at how quickly Masuoka's face fell at his words, but with a bit of effort, he managed to keep his nonchalant facade.

"You have... a girlfriend?"

"Yeah. Why?" Neku asked, his face the image of innocence. He wondered if it was possible that he had contracted Joshua's sadistic tendencies, because this was _way_ too fun.

"No reason... I'll get it for you..." Neku could see the dark cloud that descended over the shopkeeper as he trudged off. Neku would have felt guilty, but really, he was just happy that the creep would finally leave him alone. He grinned to himself. Free at last.

"Having fun?" An irritating giggle interrupted his thoughts. "I have to say, you did a good job. Just look at all those Noise swarming around him," Joshua chuckled as he walked up to Neku with his purchases in a bag.

Neku stared at him in alarm. "Noise?"

The Composer just waved him off. "He'll be fine. Are you buying that dress?" He asked, nodding to the dress that the shopkeeper was bringing back. It was simple pastel blue dress with a silk ribbon.

Neku resumed his bluff as the shopkeeper approached and nodded, "Yeah, it's for _her_."

The air around HT Masuoka grew darker at the words and he struggled to fight off the twitch he had at the corners of his mouth.

"It'll be 17,000 yen, sir."

This time Neku couldn't hold back the small grin at the lack of "hon." Oh, sweet victory.

He paid and politely thanked the shopkeeper. He felt tempted to hang around a little longer, but decided to leave the poor man alone. There was also the pressing issue of Joshua, who looked like he was about to explode with laughter if they didn't leave the store soon.

"I need to stop hanging around you so much. You're starting to rub off on me."

"Learning from the best," Joshua snickered. "You crushed his heart, dear."

Neku shrugged, still grinning victoriously, "He was the one who couldn't take a hint." He shifted his arm, reminded of the dress he had just purchased. "So... what should I do with this?" He mused, lifting the bag.

"You could return it later," Joshua suggested and then smirked. "Or I have a better idea..."

Neku narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the look Joshua had on his face. "What are you-"

"Oh, Eri~" Neku froze as the pink haired teen emerged from the nearby shadows and- w_hat was she doing there? Had she been waiting for me?_

"Wha- what are you doing here, Eri?" His voice sounded feeble, even to him.

"Oh Neku, you bought a dress! And it's in your size, too..." Eri had _that_ look in her eyes- the kind that drained the blood from Neku's face and would have made even Pi-Face cry. With a jolt, he realized that the dress _was _his size.

Fuck.

"You owe me a favor, dear. I'd like to cash it in," Joshua cooed, his eyes shining with amusement as Neku stood there, frozen in shock.

"You- You planned this!"

Joshua spared him a devilish smirk before turning to his conspirator. "Maybe~ Eri, dear, be sure to get me _plenty_ of pictures."

"Of course!"

Neku frantically searched for an escape route or for someone who would help him. _Anything_ to get away, but to no avail. And thus began the worst five hours of Neku's teenage life.

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**'Cuz cross dressing is cool. You work that dress, Neku! And remember, enjoy the moment~ xD**

**For the next few, I'm gonna try to focus more on Eri and the Bito siblings because I really haven't tried to do anything for them yet. (Eri sort of, but not really.)**

**Please review! :)**


	5. What a Wonderful Day

**Long time no see, huh? **

**Warnings: Guns, but hey, it's TWEWY**

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_**~I do not own TWEWY~**_

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Neku carefully looked over the list again. Eggs, flour, sugar, soda, balloons... The list went on and on.

He, Beat, and Rhyme were throwing a surprise party for Shiki and Eri to congratulate the two for their employment at D+B. Granted, it was only an internship, but for the two girls, it was a major step in their fashion career. Beat and Rhyme were in charge of preparing the food while Neku was their errand boy. Despite his appearance, Beat was a good cook and, surprisingly, an even better baker. After teasing his friend over his frilly baker's apron (_it's my ma's man!_), Neku had to admit that he admired the fact that Beat could not only cook, but cook _well_ while the orange head was subsisting on instant ramen when his mother wasn't home to cook for him.

Speaking of instant ramen... his stash at home was getting pretty low. After a quick check on his phone, he decided that he had enough time to run to Ramen Don and buy some before getting the stuff for the party.

Rounding the corner to Dogenzaka, he stopped, his blood feeling like ice. Stretched across the street was a chillingly familiar silhouette. It was a junk heap, each piece carefully placed so that it could reach to the heavens without the fear of a sudden collapse. He stared at it and almost shouted out in alarm before he realized that no one else seemed to notice it and were _walking through it._ _What the hell._

Barely noticing the the disgruntled businessman he was holding up because of his abrupt stop, Neku hastily pulled out his phone, all the while, watching the trash heap as if it would come to life and attack him. While waiting for the other person on the line to pick up, the businessman went around him, muttering about a "freak having a panic attack in the middle of the street." Neku was busy glaring at him and flicking him off when he finally heard the line connect.

"Alright asshole, was this supposed to be some kind of sick joke?"

"Hello to you, too," the phone cooed, setting Neku's teeth on edge. "What did I supposedly do this time?" Neku frowned slightly. He wasn't particularly fond of the Composer's humoring tone, but he sounded innocent, like he really didn't do anything, but considering that it was him...

"Stop playing, Joshua. What is this junk heap doing back here?" He snapped, feeling even more irritable when he heard someone behind him whisper about this "junk heap" that was most definitely not there.

"Oh good, you found one. I'll send Minamimoto to clean up his mess. Where exactly are you, dear?"

Neku tried to form a coherent response, but his voice was soundless as his mouth opened and closed, much like a fish's. He could only stand there numbly as the words sunk in. _Minamimoto. _Fucking Pi-Face was _alive._

"Wha- He made this pile of junk?!" He gasped out, his mind still whirling, trying to remember if he ever saw the reaper actually erased, and with a feeling of dread, recalled that he had seen him, body crushed under his beloved "art," but _he was still there. _

Whatever Joshua had responded, Neku never heard it because the next thing he knew, two large hands had grasped him by his shoulders and had pulled him away form the street and into the familiar surroundings of Ramen Don.

"Kid, are you okay? The people are staring at you like you're crazy!"

"Mr. Doi! I was just talking to my... uh..." Neku helplessly gestured to his phone before he realized that Joshua had hung up on him and had sent him a text.

_We'll talk later Neku. -J_

He grinded his teeth. Joshua was obviously skipping out on the topic, though for what reason, Neku wasn't exactly sure. All he knew was that this whole affair would have him marked as the resident crazy kid in Shibuya. He groaned slightly, "Sorry, Mr. Doi. I didn't mean to-"

"That's a big one isn't it?"

"Huh?" Neku looked up at the man in surprise. Did he hear him correctly? "Are you talking about... that?" He asked cautiously, pointing to the looming mass outside.

Mr. Doi nodded, a cheerful smile on his face. "What else? Though I've never seen him make one quite this big."

"He? Wait, so you know Pi-Face?!" Neku exclaimed in shock and disbelief.

The ramen maker let out a loud, booming laugh. "Is that what kids call him now? Yeah, we go way back. We were partners... when was it? Maybe about nine, ten years ago?"

"You were in the Game?"

"Hahaha, Sho and I were unstoppable! We won, but we ended up splitting up. It's a shame what happened to him," Mr. Doi's cheerful smile faltered slightly at his last words.

"What happened?" Neku asked.

"...Don't know what he did, probably got a higher power angry at him, but he's a lot weaker than he used to be." Neku had an idea of who this "higher power" was and he knew that he wasn't angry, rather, he found Minamimoto to be _highly_ amusing. "I think he was an officer before, but now he's just a wall reaper now." Mr. Doi continued.

"A wall reaper?" Neku snorted, trying to hold back a snicker. It was probably just Joshua rubbing off on him, but Neku found the thought of a wall reaper trying to storm that huge throne room that just _pulsed _with power to be absurdly hilarious. Mr. Doi raised an eyebrow at him, but continued nonetheless, "Yup, a wall reaper. I saw him a week ago, shouting at a pair to recite the quadratic formula," he said with a sigh, shaking his head. "But enough about that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm okay, I was just a little surprised," Neku replied. He paused, his original purpose for going to Dogenzaka resurfacing in his mind. "Oh and I need to buy some ramen."

The man grinned, "Well, you listened to this old man ramble, how about a few on the house?"

Neku returned the grin. "That would be-"

"Freeze you zero! Get ready to be divided from existence!" A loud shout interrupted.

"Sho!" Mr. Doi exclaimed. "What are you doing?!" Minamimoto looked exactly as Neku remembered him, gray hair and yellow eyes wild, except now he was wearing a wall reaper jacket. In his hand was a gun- exactly like the one that had shot him twice- that was trained directly at Neku's head. Neku froze, trying desperately to think of anything that he could defend himself with, but knew a single false move could send him straight into the UG. Inwardly, he lamented how a normal day suddenly became so messed up.

"If I get rid of him, the Composer won't have his beloved proxy anymore! It'll be one less obstacle!" Sho raved, his grin sharp and wide.

"But-"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Minamimoto," a voice interjected out of nowhere. "And you of all people should know that you can't divide a zero," it added with a girlish giggle.

Sho scowled and glanced around the restaurant, his hand lowering so that the gun pointed at Neku's chest area. "Come out Composer or I'll shoot this little digit!"

Neku tensed as the voice chuckled, probably considering all of this to be high class entertainment. "We know what happened the last time you tried to shoot someone in the RG and that didn't turn out too great. Do you really want a repeat of that?"

There was a moment of silence before Sho growled, lowered his gun in defeat, and turned, running out of the restaurant. "Wait, Sho!" Mr. Doi shouted, but to no avail.

The reaper had disappeared.

"I'll take my leave now," the echoing voice said. "Oh and Neku?" The teen looked up with a scowl as the voice began to giggle again. "Do take better care of yourself."

"...Right. Thanks Josh."

"Hmmm...You're welcome," it said cheekily before vanishing entirely.

The teen and the shop owner stood alone in silence until the older man broke it with an apologetic sigh. "Sorry kid. I'll get the ramen for ya. On the house." When the ramen maker returned with a bag full of the cup ramen, Neku shook his head. "No, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. I'll pay for it." He insisted.

"Hahaha... that's not true. If I didn't drag you in here, Sho wouldn't have shown up. Out there you're safe, surrounded by people, but here, it's just me and that wouldn't have stopped him. I'm sorry kid," Mr. Doi said, dropping the bag of ramen in Neku's arms. "Now get going, you have better things to do than talk to an old man like me!" He gave a boisterous laugh.

"Mr. Doi, if you didn't drag me in here, then people would have thought I was a lunatic. So... thanks," Neku said with a small smile and a slight wave. The man laughed again and walked into his kitchen.

Neku checked his phone again and realized that he only had half an hour to get to the supermarket and get the ingredients and supplies for the party before it closed. _Why can't my life be normal? _He wondered despairingly as he ran as fast as he could to the market.

He managed to reach the store with fifteen minute to spare and quickly searched his pockets as he tried to regain his breath. _Where is it, where is it?! _He grinded his teeth, checking his pockets and his large collar in a panic. He, at last, gave up and collapsed onto the supermarket floor, uncaring of the odd stares he was receiving.

It was odd. Being threatened at gunpoint by the Grim Heaper had shaken him, but it never gave him the same feeling of despair he had now.

* * *

**I'm not quite satisfied with how this ended but it's not that bad I guess. :/**

**Doi and Sho are definitely connected (AD is my backing for this) and Doi always seemed a bit suspicious to me, so I made them former partners. If there will ever be a sequel to TWEWY, I swear, Sho better be in it. I mean, they set it up perfectly so that he could make a comeback. **

**MAKE IT HAPPEN SQEENIX.**

**I hope you enjoyed this and please review! ^^**


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